Monte-Carlo Masters 2024: Jannik Sinner vs Stefanos Tsitsipas; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

The semifinal of the Monte-Carlo Masters is here, and Jannik Sinner is set to play against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Italian player is on a dream run, having won 3 out of the 4 tournaments he played in the season, including a slam and a Masters. Tsitsipas, on the other hand, has been unable to keep his form. Nevertheless, his showing at Monte-Carlo has been rather satisfactory.

Notably, Tsitsipas is looking to win the tournament for a third time, but Sinner is looking to reach the final for the first time.

Jannik Sinner vs Stefanos Tsitsipas: Preview

Sinner has faced three opponents so far in the tournament. He demolished Sebastian Korda 6-1, 6-2 and Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-2 to then set himself up for an anticipated bout with Holger Rune. Sinner also won against Rune and sent him packing in three sets 6-6, 6-7, 6-3. After 5 aces and two double faults, Sinner managed to win 87% of his points on first serve and 71% on second serve.

Sinner arrived at eight break points but only won 2 and did not let Rune take any of the two break points that came his way, showing he is performing great under pressure.

Tsitsipas has managed to beat all of his opponents in straight sets. He received a walkover from Laslo Djere and then beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry in a smashing 6-1, 6-0. The former top 10 player then beat Alexander Zverev in the round of 16 7-5, 7-6, almost giving away the lead as he let Zverev equalize 5-5 in the second set after being up by 5-0.

He beat Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinal, putting 7 aces past the Russian player while hitting 3 double faults. He paired his win with an astounding 84% points win on his first serve and 53% on his second serve. Tsitsipas also won five games continuously while never letting Khachanov win more than one game at a time.

Sinner vs Tsitsipas: Head-to-Head

Sinner and Tsitsipas have played against each other eight times on the ATP Tour. Tsitsipas leads their rivalry 5-3. Of their eight matches, the two have played four times on clay, where Tsitsipas has been dominant once again.

• 2019 Italian Open round of 32: Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-2
• 2020 Italian Open round of 32: Sinner 6-1, 6-7, 6-2
• 2021 Barcelona Open semifinal: Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-3
• 2022 Australian Open quarterfinal: Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• 2022 Italian Open quarterfinal: Tsitsipas 7-6, 6-2
• 2023 Australian Open round of 16: Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-3
• 2023 ATP Rotterdam round of 16: Sinner 6-4, 6-3
• 2023 Nitto ATP Finals round robin: Sinner 6-4, 6-4

Tsitsipas shows dominance on all surfaces besides the indoor hard court. However, they have not played on clay since 2022. Now, the two are in completely different forms, which will play a big role in the eventual result.

Prediction: Sinner to end Tsitsipas’ great run

Tsitsipas showed a great resurgence in Monte Carlo on his favorite surface. He has beaten Sinner on clay in the past, but the Italian player right now is on a different level. Sinner is not only on a great run, but he also feels much better about his game. In his post-match interview, said, he said, “Playing against him is never easy, especially on this kind of occasion, so I’m very happy I won today but mostly about the level I gave. I raised it today a little bit. It was more physical, there were more rallies today. My general feelings were better, so I’m very excited about tomorrow’s match.” 

While he won the first set, the second set went Rune’s way. Both were level in the third set, but Sinner managed to gain control as he won 12 of the final 15 points of the match. Clay is also Rune’s preferred surface, which gave enough threat to the Australian Open champion, but he shut the Dane down regardless.

Although he showed fantastic tennis against Zverev, Tsitsipas barely claimed the momentum back. The German managed to win five games back-to-back in the second set after being down 5-0, beginning what could have been a great comeback. The Greek player, fortunately, gained control of the game as the set was pushed to a tie-breaker.

While Sinner has a higher chance of winning, all the cards aren’t stacked against Tsitsipas, who is observing before implementing. “I was trying to predict and read certain things on the court and it worked out pretty well. I took my time once again to understand what works and what doesn’t and today I was persistent in my efforts to walk away with something good,” Tsitsipas said after beating Khachanov.

Tsitsipas has also shown great returns, which could’ve been another weapon against Sinner, but his service game has been too good in the ongoing tournament. Sinner, who prefers an indoor surface, will surely struggle against Tsitsipas but has a better chance of winning.